travel tips – Page 2 – SLAY THE STYLE

Camels decked up in beautiful colors, streets beaming with homes resembling the palace architecture, women clad in colorful sarees with a ghungat (a veil worn to cover the face), men flaunting their multi-color turbans and of course, the scorching heat – If you have experienced all of these, you are definitely in Rajasthan.

We didn’t have enough time to explore Rajasthan completely. So, we thought we would be doing two different trips. One is the short one- includes Jaipur, Ajmer, Pushkar and the other includes Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaiselmer. The first one is done in this trip and I would be planning my second one sometime next year.

Since many of you requested for this trip details on my Instagram, here I go with all the details and the things to do 😀

Accommodation

I was exploring Booking.com and found this cute little homestay, Magpie Villa which was right in the center of Jaipur .We stayed in Jaipur for 3 days. There are also good number of luxurious options available in Jaipur.

Budget options : Magpie Villa , Umaid Bhawan

Luxurious : Rambagh Palace

10 Things To Do In And Around Jaipur

1. Visit Amer Palace and City Palace, Jaipur

City palace is the current residence of the royal family which is in Jaipur whereas Amer Palace is the age-old residence of the royal family when Amer used to be the capital of the state.

These two palaces are a must-visit to see the architecture and mind blowing facilities that the royal family had, back in 16th century.

Amer fort

City Palace

2. Don’t forget the elephant ride in Amer fort, Jaipur

There are two ways get to the top of the Amer fort – elephant ride and vehicles. Elephant safari is something which you need to try here.

Amer fort

3. Visit Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur

This fort which is situated on the top of a hill will give you an entire view of the city. This fort has a completely different architecture compared to the other forts in Jaipur. While most of the forts have intricate stone carvings, this portrays detailed paintings as well.

Nahargarh fort

4. Shopping in the streets near Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

Silver and Gem Jewellery is something which I loved about this market.

Hawa Mahal (It’s just a wall – No palace, as the name says it)

5. Taste Pyaas Kachori and Raj Kachori in Jaipur

These are really popular in Jaipur. You can snap a quick break in LMB near Hawa Mahal to taste these. If you are person with sweet tooth, then you would be enjoying the food even more 🙂

Raj Kachori

6. Camel Ride and Rajasthani women dressing in Pushkar

Pushkar is my favorite part of the trip. You can actually witness a bit of the actual desert atmosphere in Pushkar. Since we went just before the Pushkar Camel Mela was about to start, we could see the preparations in full swing.

Also, you can try dressing up like a local for which they usually charge 100-200 bucks per person. Camel riders usually takes you to this place if you ask him 🙂

Pushkar ( That’s me 😀 )

7. Visit the Brahma temple and Pushkar Lake in Pushkar

This is the only temple which is built for Brahma in the world. More than the temple, I liked the Pushkar lake which is just close to the temple.

8. Shopping in Pushkar Streets

This is one more thing which I loved the most in Pushkar. Home decor and camel leather bags are the best here. I stocked up quite a lot of stuff here. Personally, I found Pushkar shopping much better and cheaper than Jaipur.

Local Women In Pushkar Market

Crockery in Pushkar Market

9. Take the rope-way to reach the Savitri Temple, Pushkar

More than the temple, rope-way gives a view of entire Pushkar.

10. Visit the Ajmer Darga

Ajmer was on my list mostly because of the Darga, which is extremely popular. Be prepared to witness some insane crowd 😛

PS : This Darga didn’t really appeal to me as I found it as a place where you find few locals looting money from the devotees in the name of the god (especially if you are an outsider).I personally experienced it.This is not only the case in this Darga but also, many of the temples that I have visited in recent times.

Other than that, Darga was good 🙂 If you are a foodie, then the streets outside Darga need to be explored 😀

Entrance to the Darga

Tips

Carry a scarf / hat to protect yourself from the sun. Otherwise, you are going to see 50 shades of tan 😛
Bargain a lot if you are shopping in Jaipur. Since many foreigners visit these stores, they hike up the prices (Ask for 40% of the price)
For camel ride in Pushkar, you can find one place where all the camels are present just near Savitri temple. However, those are a bit expensive. Bargain or you can find a cheaper option if could spot any camel on the road which is not in any group
Shorts are not allowed in most of these temples and Dargas. So, dress accordingly
Opt for tourist guides only for City palace and Amer fort. Other places don’t require one

That’s it for this blog, DM me on Instagram or email me on lavanyapulijala7@gmail.com for anymore details.

Follow me here for more updates on fashion and styling

Photos by Durga Pulijala (Mom 😀 )

Facebook : Slay the Style

Instagram : slaythestyle_

Previous post : Pamper the Colors